White sugar or processed sugar is extremely common today, but experts always seem worried about the widespread use of processed sugar. It goes through a long process – the juice from sugarcane is purified using heat and lime, which is further processed to make sugar crystals and molasses. The sugar crystals are further refined and bleached to give you the white sugar you have in your home. Many people think that it is better to use raw sugar, which has not gone through the same processing as the white sugar. The question is, which one is better, raw sugar or white sugar? Do you get any health benefits by opting for raw sugar in place of white sugar? Let's find out more about it.

Is Raw Sugar Better Than White Sugar?

In terms of nutrition, you will not find much of a difference between white and raw sugar. They both contain 99% of sucrose as well as some minerals. You may get a few additional minerals from raw sugar, but again, the difference is not that significant.

You get raw sugar as well as table sugar from evaporated cane juice. The sap of sugar cane is boiled and then spun to get the molasses. Those molasses are purified to give you raw sugar. It implies that raw sugar does not go through serious chemical processing, which is why it maintains its brown color. You can get different varieties of raw sugar, including turbinado, muscovado, and demerara.

Whether you opt for raw sugar or refined sugar, you get 100% carbs from sugar. Many people are under the impression that raw sugar is better, but you have to understand that even it goes through processing and bleaching. It may provide you with a relatively higher percentage of calcium and iron, which is mainly because it retains some of the molasses. Unfortunately, it is not going to make a significant impact on your diet.

It is worth mentioning that raw sugar contains molasses, so it may have a richer flavor as compared to white sugar. You will notice that Muscovado sugar has a very strong molasses flavor, with crystals having stickier and coarser texture than processed sugar. Similarly, you may find demerara to be a better option when you want to use something in hot drinks such as coffee and tea.

Sugars Content, Calories, and GI Rating of Sugar Types

Calorie Count of Raw Sugar

All sugars provide you with the same amount of calories per gram. The calorie count may not be the same when you take it in teaspoons because of the heavier texture of raw sugar. If you take a teaspoon of turbinado sugar, it weighs about 4.6g and provides you with 18 calories. The same teaspoon of granulated white sugar weighs around 4.2g and provides you with 16 calories. Every teaspoon of dark muscovado weighs around 5g and offers 20 calories. If you take a 100g serving of turbinado, dark muscovado, and light muscovado, it contains 399, 384, and 395 calories respectively.

Types of Sugars

Is raw sugar better than white sugar? You already know the answer, but you may want to try other sugar types to meet your fitness goals. You will find many different varieties of brown and white sugars. For instance:

White Sugars

• White granulated sugar: It is the most commonly used form of sugar. It contains small sugar granules for easy handling.
• Powdered sugar: Also called confectioners, it is produced when regular white sugar is ground to form a smooth powder. Commercially available confectioners may also contain a small percentage of cornstarch.
• Fruit sugar: Commonly used in dry mixes, such as pudding desserts and gelatin, its crystals are quite small yet uniform in size.
• Baker's special sugar: Finer than fruit sugar, it works great in baked goods and is suitable for sugaring cookies and donuts.
• Superfine sugar: Also called bar sugar or caster sugar, it has small crystals and is suitable for smooth desserts, such as puddings and mousse.
• Coarse sugar: As compared to regular sugar, it is larger in crystal size and works great when you want to bake something at high temperatures.
• Sanding sugar: Available in both fine and large crystals, it reflects light and is suitable for baked goods.

Brown Sugars

• Dark and light brown sugars: Made by combining white sugar with different amounts of molasses, brown sugar can be of different colors. Light brown sugar is more suitable for baked goods, whereas dark brown sugar is suitable for baked beans, gingerbread, etc., due to its stronger molasses flavor. These sugar varieties clump easily because they contain a higher percentage of moisture as compared to white sugars.
• Demerara sugar: This variety of brown sugar contains large golden crystals. Made usually by dehydrating cane syrup, Demerara sugar is slightly sticky and is commonly used in coffees and teas. You can also use it on top of hot cereals.
• Turbinado sugar: It is a partially processed form of brown sugar and is available in a blond color. It contains large crystals and has a mild brown sugar flavor.
• Muscovado sugar: Known for its strong molasses flavor, it is an unrefined cane sugar with dark brown color. As compared to the regular brown sugar, the crystals of muscovado sugar are somewhat stickier and coarser.
• Free-flowing brown sugar: Also called granulated brown sugar, it is not as moist as your regular brown sugar and is free-flowing, quite like white sugar. It is actually the combination of white sugar and molasses and is produced through a heating and drying process.

How Much Sugar Can You Take?

Is raw sugar better than white sugar? In terms of nutrition, there is no big difference between the both, so it is important to know how much sugar to take on a daily basis. According to the Heart Association, women should not consume more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day. In other words, you should take no more than 24g of added sugar a day. Men should limit their intake of sugar to 9 teaspoons a day.

You have to bear in mind that if you eat a 6-ounce cup of flavored yogurt, you will be consuming up to 10 teaspoons of sugar. Therefore, you have to be very careful when buying anything from the grocery store. Be sure to read the label to ensure you are not consuming more sugar than you should.